


only in front of you

by haengbokhaeya (shinybicho)



Series: i'll be the spring to your smile [13]
Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst with a Happy Ending, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Past JiCheol, Past Relationship(s), Post-Break Up, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, minor meanie, minor verkwan - Freeform, the rest are mentioned - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-13
Updated: 2018-05-13
Packaged: 2019-05-06 03:51:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,594
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14633514
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shinybicho/pseuds/haengbokhaeya
Summary: There were three types of Marks.





	only in front of you

The shock was an understatement.

They all knew Jihoon and Seungcheol had a special relationship, given that they practically entered together and grew up together in hopes of fulfilling their dreams to become performers. Through the years, a member came and stayed while some others left hoping for better chances, but Jihoon and Seungcheol were always together. It wasn’t something explicitly said to everyone. They all just assumed and left it at that. Not that anyone had problems. They just seemed to fit well, with Jihoon being hot headed and snappy and snarky while Seungcheol was steady and trustworthy and clingy (at times).

None of them questioned it even after they were told that they were to prepare for their debut. Their _debut_. Years after years of training and classes and doing the randomest things in front of the camera in hopes to garner the attention of potential fans finally proving to be worth it. The night after the announcement that they were about to debut, they all knew Jihoon and Seungcheol talked to each other. They simply disappeared in the middle of the night, when they thought everyone was asleep and they never returned until the morning.

_17Project_ had come and gone, their debut a considered success before their next comeback mini-album until they finally released their first album and proceeded to get their first win. It all seemed like a blur to all of them, but the sweat and the tears in the dance practice room were clear in the minds. No one took advantage of their rise in popularity. They acknowledged the hard work that they put in into everything from the lyrics to the music to the choreography to their television appearances.

Somewhere in between, they noticed that Seungcheol was with Jeonghan and Jisoo more and more, and Jihoon was left alone inside the studio. Still, no one questioned it because it was _Jihoon_. Jihoon, who treasured his privacy. Jihoon, who liked staying inside the mini-studio booth to work on compositions so that they don’t run out of songs to pitch for their next mini-album, their next full album, their next repackaged album…

They mostly left it at that. It was normal to see them the way they were. It wasn’t until they all gathered together, given a few weeks of rest after their latest comeback, with fansigns, performances, and the tour that they finally noticed _it_.

“Seungcheol-hyung,” it was Mingyu who asked, pointing at Seungcheol’s bicep, his oversized sleeve allowing a little peek of skin, “is that… a _mark_?”

Marks meant soulmates. No one questioned it; when it happened, how did it happen, _why_ did it happen. It just happened. Marks showed someone was meant for someone. If it was embolden, like a newly colored tattoo, it meant that the feelings were mutual. The brighter and bolder, the stronger the bond. Faded marks signified breakups. Amiable breakups. The relationship just didn’t work well as a romantic relationship but the two were still friends at least. It was consensual and both sides had closure.

Scarred marks were heartbreak. Regardless whether or not both parties agreed to the breakup and felt no hard feelings for each other, if the mark scarred, then the breakup was painful.

Seungcheol’s mark was on his bicep. It was bold and fluid, like vines weaving themselves around his upper arm. The color was eye-catching when directly looked at. It covered the faded mark underneath of a musical note. The mark underneath was so faded, washed out that it was only a light silhouette. If people only took a glance, a closer look to Seungcheol’s mark, they would have noticed that he had been marked before.

The look Seungcheol gave at Mingyu was hard and serious that neither Seokmin nor Seungkwan had the heart to crack a joke about it. The next look was thrown at Jeonghan who was watching everyone with a careful eye. It wasn’t defensive or secretive. It was just watchful.

Jeonghan caught Seungcheol’s eyes and gave him a small nod; an inclination of his head, with just a dip of his chin. Everyone else was focused on Seungcheol to notice the signs Jeonghan was giving.

Seungcheol looked at everyone. He stared at everyone’s eyes, making sure that he had eye contact with everyone in the room, besides Jeonghan and Jisoo who were together right in front of him and Jihoon, who seemed to be busy poking his bowl of food. Seungcheol gave them all a wicked grin. It was slow. First, just a quirk of the corner of his lips before it blew up into a wide grin. He nodded, as proud as he could have ever been. “Yep.”

They began to hound him, almost everyone except Jeonghan, Jisoo, and Jihoon. Surprisingly, also Soonyoung, who sat at one side of the dinner table with eyes wide open in shock as if the revelation hasn’t sunken in yet. Jihoon excused himself quietly from the table, holding his chopsticks on top of his bowl, walking to the kitchen sink to dump it there. Jeonghan watched, uncharacteristically worried as Jihoon stood and left his bowl and chopsticks and water glass on the sink while everyone was busy hounding Seungcheol.

Jeonghan and Jisoo catch each other’s eyes again, concern written all over their faces but Jisoo shook his head, tilting his head at Seungcheol who could barely speak a word from all the questions being asked of him. Jeonghan chuckled before he clapped to call everyone else’s attention.

It was only a few days later that they realized Seungcheol’s mark was very much identical to Jeonghan’s. It almost continued when they stood together, like Seungcheol’s mark extended to Jeonghan’s own. But underneath the mark, there was something that was faded. A faded mark and _everyone_ knew what a faded mark was.

“Hyung,” Mingyu asked once they had a break during their practice because he lacked common sense, decency, and a brain-to-mouth filter, “did you have a previous mark?”

Seungcheol froze, the panic dawning on his face seen by everyone but Mingyu. He closed his eyes tightly, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Mingyu, that really isn’t your business.”

“But it’s a previous mark,” Mingyu whined, earning a glare from the three eldest hyungs before he shut up with a pout.

Quietly, Jihoon walked out of the room as if he needed to be somewhere else even though they were in the middle of dance practice. Seungcheol and Jeonghan looked at each other and Jisoo clapped Jeonghan’s shoulder. Mingyu blinked, confused at the exchange.

Soonyoung stood also, grabbing two towels and two bottles of water. “Jihoon-ah,” he said aloud as if he was still present even though Jihoon was already out the door, “you forgot your towel and water.”

Everyone else watched Soonyoung silently. “No worries, y’all,” Soonyoung said, letting the towels hang over his shoulder, sending a smile at all the other members, “I’ll bring him back, good as new.”

The three eldest looked at each other before gazing back at Soonyoung. The three of them nodded even though Soonyoung didn’t need it. He playfully bopped Mingyu’s head with the bottled water, earning him a small ‘hey!’ from the younger member.

“If anyone could bring Jihoon back,” Jisoo said as he began to stretch and nudging Jeonghan to do the same, “it’s definitely Soonyoung.”

Seungcheol nodded in agreement, clapping to get everyone else’s attention to start stretching as well. His hands lingered longer on Jeonghan’s shoulders and when they caught each other’s eyes, Jeonghan smiled.

Because of course it was Soonyoung who brought Jihoon back. Although it took about fifteen minutes, they still returned together with the towels Soonyoung brought with him were around Jihoon’s shoulder and neck. One water bottle had a quarter of water left while the other one was empty. Soonyoung wore a triumphant smile and Jihoon couldn’t look at anyone directly.

But Mingyu had to be Mingyu, leaning all his weight forward, blurted out and leaving Wonwoo to squawk at the sudden weight on his back. “Hyung! Mark!”

Everyone turned to the two who returned. Seungcheol smacked Mingyu up the back of his head with a scowl.

(“You know,” Seungkwan said to Hansol at a corner as they stretched, “I think it’s because we _keep hitting_ Mingyu-hyung on the head which is why he can’t seem to shut his mouth up.”

“Probably,” Hansol said, chuckling.)

Mingyu rubbed the back of his head, standing while Seungcheol helped Wonwoo ease back from being a human pretzel. “But hyung! Soonyoung-hyung and Jihoon-hyung have the same mark!”

Suddenly, everyone surrounded them both. Jihoon’s sleeves were rolled up to his underarms when they returned and Soonyoung kept one folded. They were identical, almost mirroring each other. When placed side by side, one ended where the other began. It was as if it recognized their dynamics, their standing as the two other leaders of the group. It coiled from one bicep to the other, mesmerizing and wonderful.

Jisoo smiled, watching as the rest were crowded Soonyoung and Jihoon, asking when did it happen, how did it happen, _why_  did it happen. He turned to Seungcheol and Jeonghan. Jeonghan’s arm wrapped around Seungcheol’s broad shoulder while Seungcheol held Jeonghan by the waist. There was a definite relief in Jeonghan’s face, the tension he had always been worried about when he and Seungcheol became soulmates, gone. Gone now that Jihoon was definitely meant for someone else. Someone they all knew would take care of him and never forget him.

Jisoo smiled, watching as his family celebrated together. “Well, if anyone could…”

**Author's Note:**

> so i'll be honest. this didn't go the way i wanted it to go, but i think i left it with enough stuff to continue in the future. it's something that came to me suddenly and it's an alternate universe that i definitely want to explore more of. but as usual, probably not anytime soon. hahaha.
> 
> what a way to commemorate kwon soonyoung (aka hoshi-goon) on king of masked singer right after ryan reynolds (if y'all could remember my [spideypool soonhoon au](https://twitter.com/shinybicho/status/970299285186097158) thread on twt). hahahaha.
> 
> this is entirely unedited. i'll be collating all 50 fics into a chaptered fic (edited with possible additional scenes or something) after i post all of them. hahahaha.
> 
> SCREAM AT ME: [personal twt](https://twitter.com/shinybicho), fanfic twt, [curious cat](https://curiouscat.me/shinybicho)


End file.
